10.18.2012

Foxy Shazam

This band is so deliciously different that I can't help but love them. They have that classic rock band sound (making them the best modern rock band today) with six of the craziest (and most energetic) performers (Eric Sean Nally, Loren Turner, Sky White, Daisy, Alex Nauth, and Aaron McVeigh) I have ever seen. They've released four albums (The Flamingo Trigger, Introducing, Foxy Shazam, and The Church of Rock and Roll) since forming in 2004, but those recorded songs do not do them justice; you have to see the band live to truly appreciate their musical abilities; honestly, there is nothing like your first Foxy! experience.

Nally smokes while performing (then eats the cigarette), somersaults, lays down on the stage, runs around and dances emphatically, and tells entire stories, in the way that only he can (he has a very distinct, and suspenseful, way of story-telling). Nauth (trumpet/backing vocals) swings his trumpet around, even throwing it into the air at times, without missing a beat. Turner (guitar) dances the whole time while managing to refrain from getting horribly tangled in the cables, Daisy can balance a bass better than anyone I've ever seen, and even though McVeigh is back on the drums, he maintains the same energy as the rest of the band while performing. White, on the keyboards, is definitely my favorite; if you can spin around, dance, and stomp your foot on the keyboards, without missing a note, you're amazing (and he's the only guy that can make that beard work). I aspire to play the piano half as amazingly as White does, one day.

Writing about the songs they have done will give you an idea of the band, but the band is the energy which they exude in all of their performances, be it on the stage or in a music video. So, instead of my normal routine, I'm going to post some great performance videos: This is the best video to show Nally's interaction with the crowd, as no one does it better (or scarier) than he does. I don't believe any band is as energetic as Foxy Shazam during a performance (one of the reasons they are so great). This is a video (not my own) from my first Foxy Shazam experience; how could I not fall in love with them? When the band first comes out on the stage, they attack it, and you can't deny that you don't like Nally's ridiculous stories. This may be the best introduction to a song about America, and "The Only Way to My Heart" is quite possibly my favorite song by the band (although "The Streets", "I Wanna Be Yours", "Wanna-Be Angel", and, of course, "Killin' It" are all pretty amazing). Though I did not care for the band too much before seeing them live, listen to their music and watch their live videos because it is quite likely that they will grow on you; they're kind of irresistible once you get started. They're ridiculous, odd, fun, and, most of all, they're just Foxy; that, in and of itself, makes the band fantastic.

Their music may not be for everyone, but you cannot write it off completely until you've seen a live performance (attended one, I should say). It's ridiculously energetic and so, so weird, but in the absolute best way possible. I truly cannot put into words why I find them so wonderful, but I kind of love them. Foxy Shazam is the craziest band and I hope they never change.